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Monday, December 9, 2013

The.....Season .......of....... The....Surpriser

This year we have already been blessed and gifted with a
surprise gift. This gift has appeared before the official, giving season. This
gift is intended to enrich us individually, and collectively. The gift is the
gift of a wish, "a dream." It comes to us from our Pastor-in chief,
Pope Francis. In his writing of "The Joy of The Gospel," he has
spelled out in pretty much real detail his dream for our Catholic Christian
Church, CCC. (To get the full text of what the pope has written just Google, Pope
Francis, "The Joy of The Gospel") I encourage you, no, I beg you to
gift yourself with his power-full words. These words are meant to be drawn into
the depths of who we are, where they will transform us. This will happen when
we take the risk of saying "Yes." Yes to the challenging truth, which
will lead us into ways ,and places unknown. "I believe, The journey of
faith is of its essence a journey into the unknown. On this mysterious journey
we have been given Mary as our model. Her "Yes," her "Fiat,"
is always pointed out as the reality to be followed. She did not know where her
"Yes" was going to take her, neither do we. All we know is that we
will never be alone. We will never be forsaken. We may feel alone, and/or
forsaken, but deep within we never are. We cannot be, otherwise the scriptures
lie, and God has reneged on His promise "to be with us always."
"I believe Lord, help my unbelief/disbelief. This is also Merton's great
prayer; "Lord God I have no idea where I am going, I do not see the road
ahead of me..." If you do not know the rest, Google it and???

Pope Francis
has outlined a wonder-full, exciting, and challenging vision. It is, however,
up to each one of us to take that vision within and respond according to the
gifts that have already been bestowed up us by the Holy Spirit, (St.Paul)Special gifts that have been set in place are
within us so we will be able, if we so choose, to respond to the Pope's
challenge to bea "church of the
poor, for the poor." The gifts of The Spirit are to used to grow worldly
riches. On the contrary, we are warned all the gifts given are NOT for
ourselves, but for the building up of the common good. (Paul) What a
challenging, some would use the word radical, vision our Pope has for us. In
one way there is nothing new in what Pope Francis is saying. While in another
way he is leading us to a new and more radical understanding of what it means
to be a Catholic Christian Church, rooted in Gospel values. This "radical
living" has not been, nor will it ever be easy.

On the contrary, the certainty of death always awaits those
who live the Gospel message. This "death" will come in many different
ways, but it will come. Are we to be surprised? Of course not. We are, after
all, followers of the historical Jesus. This is He, Who because of the nature
of His mission and ministry, Jesus, the enfleshment of God was conspired
against and killed. The Rabbi Jesus challenged the leaders of His own religion
to change. They never got to the place where they were able to connect the voice
of The Prophet Jesus, with the voice of God. They were not able to believe that
"this Jesus of Nazareth," the local carpenter, and the God they
believed in, were one. These outwardly good people when their security was
threatened, conspired with the secular powers to condemn Him to death. Not just
any death but the worst possible death, crucifixion. From this we learn that it
does not pay to challenge the status quo. Those with vested interest will
defend their "kingdoms" by all means at their disposal.All one has to do is read the accounts of the
opposition to what the Pope intends to do. As it was then, so it is now, and
ever shall be until the end of time.

Thank God our Pope is moving inexorable forward. He is not backing down
from his vision that our Catholic Church, must be a poor church, for the poor.
We poor, we come in many shapes, sizes anddisguises. We are catholic in our colors, black, white, yellow, brown,
red, and all their many hues. We all belong to the great family of humankind.
We all spring from the same Womb, so where does the fracturing come from? There
is no division, only Onenessin The
Spirit from which we sprang. That original spiritual unity, must be reclaimed.
We are encouraged to claim the fact that we are the beloved again and again, as
often as we remember to do so. (Nouwen) We all share the common desire, and our
need for acceptance and love. The Pope is pointing us in the direction of The
Mercy-full, Prodigal love that is ever and always being offered to us. After
all, we are the beloved, of The Beloved Lover. Love is always being offered to
us, and as a result new life is being offered to us. However, we have to claim
for ourselves, our church, and all of creation this ever "newness" in
which Pope Francis is so fond. With him there is always a newness to our life.
It is never "the same old same old."How exciting!!! We are loved as we are, so we can become the actual
dream our God has of us.